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Our busy farmstead is located near Zeeland, Michigan, and happily populated by a family of nine children, their loving parents, a large (and growing) herd of dairy goats and cows, sheep, chickens, pigs, horses, ducks and more!

We are new to goat cheesemaking this year, but not new to goat, sheep or cow milk, as we’ve been milking and enjoying our animals’ milks for years now.

We’re also teaching the area’s visitors about the wonders of goats and their milk at Holland’s Dutch Village, and interest is always high.

Our turnkey cheesemaking system came from Birchbark Farm in Northwest Michigan, where for nearly a decade their herd of registered Oberhasli goats provided a dedicated co-op of artisan cheese fans with wonderful products. We aim to continue — and expand — this tradition.

Our beautiful goats, including five different breeds (Nubian, Saanen, American Alpine, Toggenburg and Oberhasli), are fed the best grains and hay available to create the foundation of our health-giving cheeses. The milk is only 24 hours from having been hay — the freshest you can get! They are milked twice daily by our older children, and you are welcome to come and visit in-season.

We also offer fresh lamb, goat and chicken meat, as well as chicken and duck eggs for those who want their protein straight from the local farmer. Please call us for pricing and availability, at 616-566-1117.

As any casual reader of this blog knows, I adore pie. So this easy-peasy unfussy galette scores high for me as a brunch star! Thanks to Aimee at Simple Bites for the recipe and picture!

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves/Yield: 6

Ingredients

Crust:

1 1/4 cup unbleached white flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons frozen unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or chèvre

1/4 cup ice cold water

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Filling:

1/2 cup goat cheese, softened

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 cup grated mozzarella

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 pound asparagus, washed and trimmed

Glaze:

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon water

Instructions

To prepare crust, combine flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse twice to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together yogurt, water, and lemon juice. Pour over flour mixture and use hands or a wooden spoon to form dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic and store in freezer for 20 minutes.

To prepare filling, whisk together olive oil and garlic clove in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the three cheeses and stir in one teaspoon of olive oil mixture. Refrigerate until ready for use.

To assemble galette, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

On a well floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 12-inch circle, trimming edges until smooth. Transfer dough to lined baking sheet. Leaving a 2-inch border, spread the cheese mixture evenly over dough. Arrange asparagus over the cheese (as either full spears or as chopped pieces, which may make the cutting and eating easier), then drizzle remaining olive oil mixture over the top. Fold over the edges of dough, pleating to make it fit.

Whisk together egg yolk and water. Brush over the crust and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is puffed, asparagus is tender, and crust is golden brown.

If you are looking for a no-potato, heavy-on-the veg frittata that features goat cheese, look no further! These are a lovely addition to brunch. If you like them a little spicier, feel free to sprinkle in some chipotle seasoning or chopped jalapeño peppers!

Cakes which resemble the dense, moist lovelies I enjoyed while an exchange student in Germany really appeal, and this is one of them. The batter is thick, but the apples inject their juices while the cake bakes, making the texture of the cake just scrumptious.

These are just lovely, moist bars — perfect for a brunch, tea or dessert. The chèvre makes them taste very creamy, and really sets off the carrots. Enjoy! Thanks to the fabulous Baker Boys at Lake Country Quark in the UK!

1/2 cup organic sugar

1/2 cup sunflower oil

8 ounces goat quark or chevre, thinned with 1/4 cup milk

4 eggs

1 cup flour

4tsp baking powder

2tsp bicarbonate soda

2tsp vanilla

1/2 cup raisins

6 medium grated carrots

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

The Icing

1 1/3 cup icing sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup chevre

1tbs honey

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2

Whisk together the sugar and sunflower oil, add to this the eggs then the chèvre thinned with milk

Step 3

Next add all the other dry ingredients followed by the raisins, carrot and coconut

Step 4

Stir well and pour into a greased 9 x 11 rectangular baking pan, or 12-muffin tin

Step 5

Place on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 30-40 mins until golden and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean

Step 6 – The Icing

Once the cake or muffins have cooled, sieve the icing sugar into a mixing bowl then add chèvre, the butter and honey and mix well until smooth

Laura Chenel (legend in the artisan cheese world) posted a helpful video today on her blog and in Facebook. It’s a basic primer on how to select a goat cheese to please your palate. It’s got some good advice, but is by no means exhaustive. There are hundreds of goat cheeses out there, so get busy and start eating your way through the choices!